Golf carts, as envisioned for purposes of this invention, describe small vehicles which are generally permitted on golf courses, even if they are not used exclusively or at all on such. Most are electric, though some may be powered by fossil fuels including, but not limited to, propane, hydrogen or gasoline. These vehicles are also usually open on the sides and rear, though some may have flexible roll-down sides for protection from weather, and they may be modified after-market to add doors and other weather protection. By default, they tend to hold two passengers in the front and two golf bags on a rear shelf in the back. Some are available now with two forward facing seats, and two backwards facing seats, eliminating the rear golf bag ledge but holding 4 passengers, or with other configurations to hold 4 passengers.
While originally intended for use purely to transport golfers and their clubs around a golf course, golf carts have come into more widespread use as transports in a variety of situations. Some communities have been designed to avoid use of cars, and to permit transport on foot and via pathways accommodating golf carts. In other cases, individuals may wish to use a golf cart as a supplement or as a complete replacement for an automobile, for reasons including, but not limited to, loss of a driver's license, temporary or permanent incapacity, or desire to use purely electric transportation for ecological or self sufficiency reasons. In some communities, golf carts are permitted to drive on specific public roads. When a golf cart is used in these ways, as a primary vehicle for an individual or a family, a need exists for more storage capacity, storage security and flexibility than a golf cart normally provides.
Storage on a normal golf cart includes only a small wire basket or two, intended for holding small items like a hat or sunglasses, one or two glove boxes which are not normally lockable, and a shelf or well in the back for holding two sets of golf clubs. Since a golf cart is normally used only for golfing in good weather, storage areas are not protected from inclement weather such as rain or temperature extremes. Since it is also normally attended by the golfers for the full time it is on the course, the storage provides little or no security for items being transported. Finally, there is little flexibility in storage, as its primary storage area is configured to hold nothing more or less than two bags of golf clubs.